Staff photo / Ed Runyan Corey J. Waldon, left, is seen talking to Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge John Durkin while standing next to his attorney, Michael Kivlighan, Wednesday during Waldon’s hearing. Waldon was sentenced to two years of probation and 90 days already served in the Mahoning County jail while awaiting trial.

YOUNGSTOWN — Corey J. Waldon, 27, who was listed as homeless late last year, was sentenced to 90 days in the Mahoning County jail this week and was allowed to leave the Mahoning County jail after pleading guilty Wednesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to failure to register his address as a sex offender.

The failure to register occurred in May of 2020. Waldon was indicted Jan. 12. He was required to register his address with the sheriff’s office where he lived because of a December 2017 attempted rape conviction in Cuyahoga County, according to court records.

That was a second-degree felony conviction which means Waldon’s failure-to-register also is a second-degree felony, said Joe Maxin, assistant county prosecutor. Waldon was booked into the jail Dec. 14 and has already served 98 days in jail.

Judge John Durkin explained to Waldon that the possible penalty for the offense is about 10 years in prison, but he can also get a non prison sentence.

Maxin said it appears this is the first time Waldon failed to verify his address, but if it happens again, prosecutors may not be willing to recommend a nonprison sentence the next time.

Waldon told the judge he was staying at a residence in the area and was not very familiar with the area, and “there were things going on in the house that I didn’t want to be involved in,” but he was not “looking at the big picture” and “decided to make my own decision. It obviously backfired on me.”

He said the time he spent in jail “made me realize this is serious.”

The judge later approved the 90-day jail sentence the prosecutor’s office recommended.

erunyan@vindy.com